Podemos officially demanded this Saturday that Irene Montero should continue to head the Ministry of Equality if the coalition government with the PSOE is re-formed. In a new fight against Sumar and in an attempt to maintain his weight in initiating the political course, the Secretary General of Podemos, Ione Belarra, has also announced the opening of a process of “reflection and debate” to renew the political documents that will determine the party’s course in the next legislative period. The speech of the also incumbent Minister of Social Rights before the meeting of the Citizens’ Council, the highest governing body of the party, had two very clear messages: one about Podemos’ proposals to support the investiture of Pedro Sánchez; on the other hand, it is about the future of the formation and their new involvement in a project led by Yolanda Díaz, in which they are already a minority. The event, which took place this morning at the Círculo de Bellas Artes in Madrid, has become a confirmation of Montero’s figure, and Belarra’s intervention anticipates the battle lines of the coming months.
The leader of Podemos avoids at all times talking about red lines or immobile conditions and, without questioning her positive vote in a hypothetical investiture of Pedro Sánchez, she has outlined her “proposals” for an agreement with the Socialists: Freeze rents, reduce prices for shopping baskets and public transport, increase the minimum wage to 1,500 euros per month, repeal the gag law, renew the General Council of Justice and “above all” the continuation of the equality policy under the current minister at the helm. “It is important that Irene Montero and her team continue to lead the Ministry of Equality,” he said.
Sumar’s talks with the PSOE are led by a team led by Nacho Álvarez, foreign minister, economic spokesman for the Díaz party and also responsible for this department in Podemos, but the talks from Belarra also aim for a direct dialogue. The minister has insisted that Montero has “made Spain a reference for the rights of women and the LGBTI community around the world” and has chosen that she and her team continue to promote “transformations” in this area as a care system Fight against sexist violence or an anti-racism law. “I think it would be Podemos’ best contribution to the next coalition government,” he concluded.
The Equality Minister herself had previously spoken about this idea and was cheered by almost 500 activists in the Fernando de Rojas del Círculo theater, which was too small to accommodate the thousand supporters present. Among the listeners were politicians from other parties, such as Gabriel Rufián from the ERC; Carlos Sanchez Mato of IU; or Juan López de Uralde from Alianza Verde.
“You should all be very clear, including Ione, that you can count on me,” Montero had predicted. “We can guarantee that there will be profound changes in the next coalition government.” In the same week that the Sumar faction set up its leadership body and wanted to regulate the debate on the deputy speakers (of which Podemos and IU withdrew in favor of regionalist groups fewer MPs were left out), said the secretary of the organization Lilith Verstrynge has also called for “sovereignty, voice and political agency” to continue to “drive” these changes.
Political documents
To face this new phase within Sumar and already internally, Belarra has advocated the opening of a discussion process that will “redefine” the political direction of the party in the coming years. The Secretary General explained that the objectives with which the management presented itself to the fourth Citizens’ Assembly in 2021 were to make Yolanda Díaz a presidential candidate in order to “expand the electoral base” and seek majority power in the government – “not fulfilled been.”
“From now until November 4, our organization will debate, amend and vote on a political document that we will publish throughout the day, with the aim of strengthening Podemos politically and organizationally,” said Belarra, who signed the traumatic integration agreement in Sumar criticized for the 23-J elections; a process that he “could not describe as a unity”, which he described as “unfair” and which, he stressed, had led to a “loss of votes and seats”. “Agreements under these conditions cannot be repeated,” he declared, alluding to the exclusion of Irene Montero from the electoral lists of 23-J and to the unanimous applause of the audience.
